Lowrance ice fishing

[Biglunch]

Looking into getting an ice transducer for my elite 5 hdi, just wondering if any one has used on on the ice and if they like it.

 

[powerman]

I bought the lowrance I fishing pack with the case, battery,charger, and transducer. Worked great with anything under a 5" unit. Then switched to the genz box so I could use my hds 7. I really like it.

 

[Big Iron]

I have the elite 7. Works OK thru the ice after some setting tweaking, not great. I seem to have some trouble with interference when fishing multiple people in a ice house.

I always seem to go back to the soothing hum of my bulletproof FL 8.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

I used an elite 5 until last year when I used a buddies flasher in Canada and realized how much faster they pick up a fish and way more target separation with the flasher (was using a vex flx28) I ended up finding a good deal on a marcum lx7 at the end of last year and it still has the history but it also reacts faster and has better target separation than the elite did... tip for the lowrance if you do go that way is when the ground starts to change and looks like it is coming up, it's a big fish not your machine glitching

 

[powerman]

Are you using the flasher or the sonar page with or without the amplitude bar? I use the sonar page which gives me a little history of what's going on and the amplitude scope shows real time. I agree the target separation may not be as good as the vex.

 

[Allen Gamble]

I had the LX6 last year and sold it. It's a great machine, but I like the vex for the fact that I can just turn a dial or two to get things working how I want; as opposed to an LX6 or 7 where you are using arrows and buttons to change every setting. Looking to get an 18, 22, or 28 this year.

 

[cooter00]

Has anyone tried a lowrance hds8 gen 2 for ice fishing

 

[Captain Ahab]

Has anyone tried a lowrance hds8 gen 2 for ice fishing

Yes. It works just fine, but you only get one descent day on a charge with Vex style battery. Probably won't last from sun up to sun down. I love the mapping and and the graph works pretty well. I still prefer the FL 28 for target separation, though.

 

[Stinger]

Yes. It works just fine, but you only get one descent day on a charge with Vex style battery. Probably won't last from sun up to sun down. I love the mapping and and the graph works pretty well. I still prefer the FL 28 for target separation, though.

Mate you using a proview or tribeam transducer on the 28? Looking to upgrade from my 20 to a 28 and heard the proview transducer was lacking in shallow water

 

[Captain Ahab]

I have a tri-beam and proview. Don't care for the proview as much.

 

[Stinger]

From everything i have read, the tri-beam is hands down a better transducer than the proview. I wonder why you can't by the 28 with the tri-beam? I spose its vexilar's way of pushing the proview.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

Are you using the flasher or the sonar page with or without the amplitude bar? I use the sonar page which gives me a little history of what's going on and the amplitude scope shows real time. I agree the target separation may not be as good as the vex.

I tried both, the round flasher simulation and the graph with the amplitude bar, I liked the graph/amplitude bar better but side by side comparison it just did not respond as fast when a fish showed up... the elite 5 is back in my boat now and that's where it will stay now that I have the LX7

 

[FishSticks]

I think they had some issues with the tri-beam. I know when I bought my FL18 that the ducer crapped out on me and that was a fairly common occurrence. Not sure if that is why we are seeing less tri-beams now but I wouldn't be against getting another, their customer service is outstanding.

From everything i have read, the tri-beam is hands down a better transducer than the proview. I wonder why you can't by the 28 with the tri-beam? I spose its vexilar's way of pushing the proview.

 

[eseamands]

I tried both, the round flasher simulation and the graph with the amplitude bar, I liked the graph/amplitude bar better but side by side comparison it just did not respond as fast when a fish showed up... the elite 5 is back in my boat now and that's where it will stay now that I have the LX7

I like the graph/amplitude bar as well for my Elite 5 ICE. I agree that it has a bit slower response and there isn't as clear of fish/floor separation when compared side by side with an good Vexilar/Marcum flasher. My Elite 5 has a open water transducer that suctions to the bottom of my kayak though, which makes it an ideal open water and ice fishing unit so I've been very happy with it overall.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

I like the graph/amplitude bar as well for my Elite 5 ICE. I agree that it has a bit slower response and there isn't as clear of fish/floor separation when compared side by side with an good Vexilar/Marcum flasher. My Elite 5 has a open water transducer that suctions to the bottom of my kayak though, which makes it an ideal open water and ice fishing unit so I've been very happy with it overall.

you can do the same thing with an LX7 btw they do have transducers for open water with mount options for kayak and boat... all of the marcum flashers do actually... LX and RT series also have the history graph... I will concede that the vexilar is faster to adjust with its high tech knobs

 

[dragoneyes]

Lowrance and a Vexilar would be the perfect setup for mounting on sled,side by side or atv dont have any of them at this time, wish i did last winter. Hoping to have better access this year but there are 4 things i do have that works in combination on any lakes. I will always have a contour map to pick my locations to fish, will use a handheld Digital Sonar Vexilar to to pinpoint were i will drill my holes, Vexilar FLX 28, and a handheld gps unit. Wonder how a boat fishfinder would work at Devils Lake with all the submerged trees, the vexilar works great if you know how to operate and know how to read the flasher correctly. One piece of equipment i will add this year is a k drill for early ice.

 

[shorthairsrus]

Chirp chirp. Vex fans

 

[Biglunch]

I think im gonna do it, if I don't like it I always have my trusty vex

 

[shorthairsrus]

U do it big!!! It's just fishing